Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars
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If sunshine had a dessert, I’m pretty sure it would be these Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars. They’re bright, creamy, buttery, and swirled with sweet-tart raspberry in every bite. The lemon cheesecake filling is rich without being heavy, and baked on top of a soft sugar cookie dough.
Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars Recipe
Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars
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These bars look like something you’d pick up at a fancy bakery, but they’re surprisingly simple to make. They’re perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day, baby showers, summer cookouts, or just because you found raspberries on sale.
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Why You’ll Love These Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars
- There are a lot of cheesecake bar recipes out there, but this one has the perfect balance of flavors.
- The lemon keeps the cheesecake bright and fresh while the raspberry swirl adds just enough sweetness (and makes them look extra impressive with almost zero extra effort).
- They’re also much easier than making a traditional cheesecake. No water bath. No springform pan. No worrying about cracks. Just mix, swirl, bake, chill, and enjoy.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- For the crust you’ll need sugar cookie mix, butter, an egg, and fresh lemon zest to give it a little extra citrus flavor.
- The filling is made with cream cheese, sugar, eggs, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and fresh raspberries. That’s it!
- If you want to make them extra pretty, save a few fresh raspberries and lemon slices for garnish before serving.
Step By Step Directions
- Start by making the cookie crust. Mix together the cookie mix, softened butter, egg, and lemon zest until a soft dough forms.
- Press it evenly into a parchment-lined baking dish and bake until just lightly golden. Let it cool for a few minutes while you prepare the filling.
- Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest, eggs, and fresh lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Reserve about ¼ cup of the cheesecake filling.
- Mash the raspberries and press them through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Stir the raspberry puree into the reserved cheesecake mixture. Pour the plain cheesecake filling over the baked crust.
- Drop spoonfuls of the raspberry mixture across the top, then gently swirl everything together with a butter knife. Don’t overdo it—a few swirls create the prettiest pattern.
- Bake until the center is just set. It should still have a tiny bit of jiggle when you gently shake the pan.
- Allow to cool at room temperature, then refrigerate until completely chilled before slicing.
Tips For The Best Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
Fresh lemon juice and zest really make a difference here. Bottled juice works in a pinch, but fresh gives these bars that bright bakery-style flavor.
Don’t overmix the filling once the eggs are added. Mix just until everything is smooth.
For clean slices, chill the bars completely and wipe your knife clean between cuts.
If you’re short on time, seedless raspberry jam works beautifully instead of making fresh raspberry puree.
You can also stir a drop or two of yellow food coloring into the cheesecake filling if you’d like an even brighter lemon color.
Storage
Store leftover cheesecake bars covered in the refrigerator for up to five days.
They’re actually even better the next day after all the flavors have had time to come together.
These bars also freeze surprisingly well. Wrap individual slices tightly and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
More Amazing Raspberry Recipes
- Raspberry Overnight Oats Recipe
- Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies Recipe
- Raspberry Dumplings Recipe
- Lemon Raspberry Muffins
- Raspberry Buttercream Recipe
- Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
- Raspberry Cobbler Recipe
- See all our best raspberry recipes!
How to Make Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars Recipe
Equipment
- 9×13-inch baking dish
- parchment paper
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Fine mesh sieve or small strainer
- Rubber spatula
- Butter knife or skewer
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 17.5-ounce pouch dry sugar cookie mix
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- Alternative: Use 1 batch homemade sugar cookie dough plus 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest.
For the Filling
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 2 large eggs
- Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
Optional Garnish
- Fresh raspberries
- Lemon slices or lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar cookie mix, softened butter, egg, and 1 teaspoon lemon zest until a soft dough forms.
- Press the dough evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, eggs, and lemon juice until completely smooth.
- Reserve ¼ cup of the cheesecake mixture in a small bowl.
- Pour the remaining cheesecake filling over the partially cooled cookie crust.
- Mash the raspberries and press them through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds, creating a smooth raspberry puree.
- Stir the raspberry puree into the reserved ¼ cup cheesecake mixture until combined.
- Spoon dollops of the raspberry mixture over the cheesecake filling.
- Using a butter knife or skewer, gently swirl the raspberry mixture throughout the cheesecake layer to create a marbled effect.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the cheesecake is just set with a slight jiggle in the center.
- Cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until fully chilled.
- Slice into 12 bars. Garnish with fresh raspberries and lemon slices if desired before serving.
Notes
- To make entirely from scratch, use our homemade sugar cookie dough recipe.
- Seedless raspberry jam can be substituted for the fresh raspberry puree. Use about ¼ cup.
- Fresh lemon juice and zest provide the brightest flavor.
For cleaner slices, refrigerate overnight and wipe your knife clean between each cut. - If you’d like a brighter yellow cheesecake filling, add 1 to 2 drops of yellow food coloring.
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze individual bars for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition
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Tools We Love
- Electric mixer – You can use an electric mixer to whip it together quickly.
- Glass casserole dish with lid – I love this dish, it can go from freezer to oven!
Other Awesome Lemon Recipes
- Lemonade Pie
- Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe
- Frosted Lemonade Recipe
- Lemon Pudding Cookies Recipe
- Two Ingredient Lemon Mousse Recipe
- See all our best lemon recipes!
Variations
Love extra berries? Scatter a handful of whole raspberries over the cheesecake before baking.
Want even more lemon flavor? Add a little lemon extract to the filling.
You can also use our homemade sugar cookie dough recipe if you want to go fully scratch. Just don’t skip adding the lemon zest, it really ties the whole dessert together.
More Great Cheesecake Recipes
- Cheesecake Fruit Salad Recipe
- Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies Recipe
- Caramel Cheesecake Recipe
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
- No Bake Cheesecake Recipe
- Churro Cheesecake Bars Recipe
- See all our best cheesecake recipes!
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a dessert that’s equal parts pretty and delicious, these Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars are hard to beat. The creamy lemon cheesecake, buttery cookie crust, and gorgeous raspberry swirls make every bite taste like summer.
Just don’t be surprised if everyone asks for the recipe after the first bite.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Thaw them first and drain away any excess liquid before making the puree.
Absolutely. About ¼ cup of seedless raspberry jam works perfectly and saves a little time.
Yes. Because they’re made with cream cheese, they should be stored in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve them.
Definitely. They’re actually an ideal make-ahead dessert since they need time to chill anyway. Make them the day before your gathering and they’ll be ready to go.
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